Lemon Squeezy Fee Calculator

Calculate platform fees, payout costs, and marketing fees for your digital product sales with our free Lemon Squeezy fee calculator.

Understanding Lemon Squeezy's fee structure is essential for digital creators and SaaS founders who want to maximize their revenue. Our Lemon Squeezy Fee Calculator helps you accurately estimate your fees across different payment methods, regions, and marketing features.

Payment from outside the US

Customer pays via PayPal

Recurring subscription charge

Payment recovered via emails

Additional fees for referrals

Payout Method

Fee Breakdown

Platform Fee (5.0% + $0.50)$5.50
Total Fees -$5.50
You Receive $94.50

What is Lemon Squeezy?

Lemon Squeezy is a merchant of record (MoR) platform designed specifically for digital products and SaaS businesses. Unlike traditional payment processors, Lemon Squeezy handles tax compliance, payment processing, subscription management, license key management, and email marketing - all in one platform.

Lemon Squeezy Fee Structure

Platform Fees

Base Platform Fee

5% + $0.50 per transaction

This fee covers:

  • Credit card processing fees
  • Currency conversion
  • Tax calculation and filing
  • Fraud protection
  • Customer support

No monthly fees - you only pay when you make sales.

International Transactions

+1.5% additional fee

Applied when customers pay from outside the United States. Covers cross-border payment processing and currency conversion costs.

PayPal Payments

+1.5% additional fee

When customers choose PayPal as payment method. Covers PayPal's higher processing costs.

Subscription Payments

+0.5% additional fee

For recurring subscription charges. Includes automatic billing, failed payment recovery, and dunning management.

Marketing Feature Fees

Abandoned Cart Recovery

+5% on recovered sales

When cart recovery emails successfully convert an abandoned cart. Most stores see 10-30% recovery rates.

Affiliate Program

Merchant: +3% on affiliate sales Affiliate: +2% on payouts

Performance-based pricing for running or participating in affiliate programs.

Payout Fees

Stripe (US Bank)

Free

No additional fees for US bank account payouts via Stripe.

Stripe (International)

1% per payout

For international bank account payouts outside the US.

PayPal (US)

$0.50 flat fee

Fixed fee per payout to US PayPal accounts.

PayPal (International)

3% (max $30)

Percentage-based fee capped at $30 for international PayPal payouts.

How to calculate Lemon Squeezy fees?

Enter transaction amount

Input the sale amount in USD that you expect to receive from your customer.

Select payment options

Choose applicable options: international transaction, PayPal payment, or subscription billing.

Add marketing features

Enable abandoned cart recovery or affiliate program if you use these features.

Choose payout method

Select your preferred payout method to see the complete fee breakdown.

Real-World Fee Examples

Example 1: Basic US Sale

  • Product Price: $50
  • Customer Location: United States
  • Payment Method: Credit Card

Fees:

  • Platform: 5% + $0.50 = $3.00
  • Payout (Stripe US): $0.00
  • Total Fees: $3.00
  • You Receive: $47.00

Example 2: International Subscription

  • Product Price: $100/month
  • Customer Location: Germany
  • Payment Method: Credit Card

Fees:

  • Platform: 5% = $5.00
  • International: 1.5% = $1.50
  • Subscription: 0.5% = $0.50
  • Fixed: $0.50
  • Payout (Stripe Intl): 1% = $1.00
  • Total Fees: $8.50
  • You Receive: $91.50

Example 3: Recovered Cart with Affiliate

  • Product Price: $200
  • Customer Location: Canada
  • Payment Method: PayPal
  • Features: Cart recovery + Affiliate referral

Fees:

  • Platform: 5% = $10.00
  • International: 1.5% = $3.00
  • PayPal: 1.5% = $3.00
  • Cart Recovery: 5% = $10.00
  • Affiliate (merchant): 3% = $6.00
  • Fixed: $0.50
  • Payout (PayPal Intl): 3% = $6.00
  • Total Fees: $38.50
  • You Receive: $161.50

How to Minimize Fees

While Lemon Squeezy's fees are competitive, you can optimize costs:

  1. Optimize Payout Settings: Use Stripe bank transfers (free for US) instead of PayPal to save on payout fees.
  2. Consider Currency Strategy: For products under $10, contact Lemon Squeezy about custom pricing.
  3. Evaluate Marketing Features: Track your cart recovery rate. If recovering 20%+ of abandoned carts, the 5% fee justifies the ROI.
  4. Balance Affiliate Costs: The 3% merchant fee drives incremental sales. Factor this into your pricing strategy.
  5. Reduce International Fees: Price in USD but highlight local currency displays to improve conversion without eliminating fees.

Lemon Squeezy vs. Competitors

vs. Gumroad

  • Gumroad: 10% (free plan) or $10/month + 3.5%
  • Lemon Squeezy: 5% + $0.50, no monthly fees
  • Winner: Lemon Squeezy is significantly cheaper for most sellers

vs. Paddle

  • Paddle: 5% + $0.50 standard, 10% starter
  • Lemon Squeezy: 5% + $0.50 standard
  • Winner: Similar pricing, Lemon Squeezy offers better transparency

vs. Stripe

  • Stripe alone: 2.9% + $0.30 (no tax handling)
  • Lemon Squeezy: 5% + $0.50 (includes MoR services)
  • Winner: For international digital products, MoR is worth the extra 2%

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lemon Squeezy cheaper than Gumroad?

Yes, significantly. Gumroad charges 10% (free plan) or $10/month + 3.5%. For most sellers, Lemon Squeezy's 5% + $0.50 results in lower fees.

Do I need to register for taxes in different countries?

No. As the merchant of record, Lemon Squeezy handles all tax registration, calculation, collection, and filing globally.

Can I pass fees to customers?

You can build fees into your pricing. For example, to net $100, price at $106 to cover the ~5% fee.

What happens with chargebacks?

Lemon Squeezy handles chargebacks as the merchant of record, bearing the liability and managing disputes.

Are there volume discounts?

Yes. High-volume sellers or those with products under $10 can contact sales for custom pricing.

Do renewals count as new transactions?

Yes, each subscription renewal is a separate transaction subject to platform + subscription fee.

Disclaimer: This tool is not affiliated with Lemon Squeezy. Fee structures are current as of December 2024 and subject to change. Always refer to Lemon Squeezy's official pricing for the most up-to-date information. This calculator is for estimation purposes only.